Album Reviews by Marshall Gu

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The Exploding Hearts – Guitar Romantic

This is a pretty clear-cut case of Dying Young Syndrome and Right Place Right Time Syndrome (what, with all the other ‘The’-bands and power pop bands releasing their second-tier albums around the same time) in a single album. Methinks if three quarters of the band didn’t die in a tragic car accident right after the album’s release, they would’ve gone by way of the Strokes in the long run straight to join the dodos (the bird, not the band): their same-y songs make for a wearying listen, despite the concise album (ten tracks, most songs lasting less than 3 minutes). “I’m a Pretender” has such a good melody that it practically struts; “Throwaway Style” is better than exactly half of the Strokes’ Room on Fire released that same year (when the additional toy piano/keyboard melody comes in, the first instance at the 1:15 mark, it’s a very lovely surprise that you don’t expect).